After a weekend of rapid-fire developments in the battle over food benefits for hungry families, the Trump administration has tripled down on its demands that SNAP payments not be made during the government shutdown.

The brazenness of the administration’s demands that Congressionally allocated resources not be given to people in need left even some of President Donald Trump’s supporters stunned. Trump and his allies have fought vigorously to deny payment of federal food benefits — even though the funding exists — and ended the weekend demanding that payments already made be clawed back.

Lisa Murkowski

Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called the latest Trump directive “shocking.”

“It’s one thing if the federal government is going to continue its level of appeal through the

See Full Page